Press Releases
PointsBet Online and Mobile Sports Betting Live in State of Illinois; Flagship Hawthorne Race Course Retail Location and Three Premium Off-Track Betting Sites to Follow Soon

PointsBet, a premier global sportsbook operator, announced that it is now providing its mobile app and digital sports betting product in Illinois. Illinois marks the fourth operational state for PointsBet’s premium sports betting product, following successful launches in New Jersey, Iowa, and Indiana.
In addition to launching the PointsBet mobile app and digital product, PointsBet’s convenient retail presence in Chicago will soon debut at four sites that flank every corner of Chicagoland. Hawthorne Race Course (Stickney, IL) represents the flagship retail location, and additional off-track betting (OTB) premium sportsbooks will debut in Prospect Heights, Oakbrook Terrace, and Crestwood.
“The PointsBet team is excited to share that we are now officially live in Illinois, our fourth state of operation in the US,” said Johnny Aitken, PointsBet USA CEO. “The passionate sports fans in the state can now experience our leading online sports betting product and see for themselves why we’ve long stated that the best product experience will win. PointsBet possesses competitive advantages by owning our technology environment from end to end, such as unrivaled speed and ease of use on a personalized platform. We, together with our partner Hawthorne Race Course, are thrilled to provide the Illinois consumer with exactly what they’ve been craving.”
Hawthorne received approval from the Illinois Gaming Board in July to move forward with a $400 million redevelopment of “Chicago’s Hometown Track” to create a multi-dimensional gaming entertainment destination inclusive of a casino and sportsbook. The first-of-its-kind business in Illinois will feature slots, table games, enhanced parimutuel wagering, dining concepts created in partnership with well-known Chicago culinary leaders, and a connected multi-story parking garage. Hawthorne Casino & Race Course is expected to open in late 2021 pending final licensing approvals.
“There are a lot of good reasons why we chose to partner with PointsBet, but most importantly it’s their commitment to innovation and customer excitement,” said Tim Carey, President and CEO of Hawthorne. “They truly know the passion and needs of the player and that has always been our focus in horseracing, just as it will be in the casino that we’re developing. Illinois gamblers are going to quickly realize PointsBet provides the best sports betting experience by far.”
As a nod to Illinois sports fans, PointsBet USA CEO Johnny Aitken confirmed that PointsBet will offer the best price in market for all Chicago Bears games this season across both the pregame spreadline and moneyline bet types. Additionally, PointsBet will unveil their innovative “Crowd Booster” promotion for sports bettors in the state of Illinois for the Chicago Bears’ first three games of the 2020 NFL season. The Bears spread will be boosted five points for every 200 bets placed, resulting in an extremely favorable spread for clients. Best of all, all clients will be able to take advantage of the final spread number, regardless of where they got their bet down!
In conjunction with the official launch of PointsBet’s Illinois sports betting product, the operator also recently announced its partnership with future NFL Hall-of-Famer, Devin Hester. A symbiotic element to the partnership, a primary point of differentiation for the PointsBet mobile product is unmatched speed and ease of use. The fastest way to get down a bet in Chicago, PointsBet owns their technology end-to-end and places an emphasis on an in-house development approach, allowing PointsBet to offer clients a faster and more streamlined digital experience, exclusive product features, bet types that cannot be found anywhere else, deep Spanish language functionality, the ability to incorporate regulatory approved changes seamlessly, and so much more. In a recent interview on the partnership, Hester commented: “With the technology that these guys have, it just makes things so easy and fast. And that’s why I partnered up with PointsBet, just thinking about myself being fast, and then coming in and joining with these guys, it just makes life so easy when you want to get in bets.”
As the official, exclusive sports betting partner of NBC Sports, PointsBet will utilize the media giant’s premium television and digital assets to promote the PointsBet brand across Illinois. As part of the agreement, NBC Sports provides PointsBet with year-round, multi-platform media and marketing opportunities across its unmatched portfolio of events, including exclusive multiplatform gameday integrations across NBC Sports Chicago, regional broadcast home to the Chicago Blackhawks, Bulls, and White Sox. PointsBet’s full Spanish-language functionality will reach Hispanic sports fans via Telemundo Deportes and Telemundo broadcast stations.
About PointsBet
PointsBet is one of the fastest growing sportsbooks in the country and is rapidly expanding its U.S. footprint, now bringing its best-in-market proprietary technology, modernized and premium brand mentality, expert trading practices and proven growth marketing strategies to both the Illinois sports betting market and the notoriously passionate Chicago-area sports fans. Originally founded in Australia, PointsBet is a cutting-edge bookmaker that prides itself on having the quickest and most user-friendly app (iOS and Android) while also providing the best content and experience for sports bettors. PointsBet is the only U.S. online bookmaker to offer PointsBetting – a unique and innovative way to bet – and has also introduced a slew of well-received, bettor-first initiatives. PointsBet offers the most markets on all four major U.S. sports (NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL) and PointsBetting in the world, including up to 1,000 markets per NBA game.
About Hawthorne Race Course
Founded in 1891, Hawthorne Race Course is the oldest sporting venue in Illinois for America’s original sport: horseracing. For more than a century, the 4th generation family-owned and operated business has hosted racing on the border of the City as “Chicago’s hometown track,” which features traditional dirt racing and the 2nd longest homestretch in North America. Currently, Hawthorne is the only race course in the nation to host both Thoroughbred (Spring, Fall, Winter) and Standardbred racing (Summer), and operates Illinois’ largest network of off-track betting parlors. On July 30, 2020, the Illinois Gaming Board approved Hawthorne to move forward with development of the State’s first race track casino and sportsbook. For more information visit HawthorneRaceCourse.com.
SOURCE PointsBet
Latest News
Stake strikes new global partnership with Street League Skateboarding

The worlds of street culture and cutting-edge entertainment collide as Street League Skateboarding (SLS) and online gaming powerhouse Stake announce a new global partnership.
This partnership, which kicked off with Stake center stage as the Presenting Rights Partner of SLS Miami and the first SLS Takeover in Santa Monica in May, will run throughout the SLS Championship Tour season, culminating with the Super Crown in SĂŁo Paulo in December.
The wide-ranging partnership will see Stake prominently featured across the live events with branding on key skate course features and broadcast segments at the biggest skateboarding events worldwide.
Additionally, fans can expect to see the Stake brand integrated into the unique SLS social content, including the “What’s at Stake” event preview, and the all-new Game of S.T.A.K.E. – a creative twist on the classic Game of Skate, which will feature a head-to-head battle between SLS pros.
To round out the partnership, Stake will also be the presenting rights partner of the annual Trick of the Year contest, which allows skaters worldwide to submit their tricks for the illustrious prize. The Trick of the Year award winners will be announced in December.
“We’re excited to welcome an exciting brand like Stake to the SLS family”, said Frank Lamicella, CEO of Thrill Sports and parent company of SLS. “This partnership will deliver innovative activation elements and experiences to both our brands and fans as we travel the world for the 2025 SLS Championship Tour.”
“Skateboarding is more than sport – it’s fashion, music, culture, and raw energy. That’s exactly the space Stake loves to play in, and SLS is the perfect partner to bring that to life,” said Akhil Sarin, Chief Marketing Officer at Stake. “This alignment makes it an excellent partnership for our brand.”
Canada
Segev LLP Celebrates 10 Years of Business-Focused Legal Innovation

Leading business, technology, finance, and gaming law firm, Segev LLP, is proud to announce its 10th anniversary. Over the past decade, Segev has evolved from a bold idea into a multi-jurisdictional firm serving clients across Canada, the U.S., and beyond.
Built for innovation-driven industries, the firm is widely recognized for its work with companies at the forefront of gaming, crypto, technology, and emerging sectors. “Our 10-year anniversary is a defining moment,” said Founding Partner, Ron Segev. “It’s a testament to the strength of our team and our culture of teamwork, self-improvement, and growth – all of which is directed at scoring wins for our great clients.”
As industries like fintech, crypto, iGaming, and AI have matured, so has the firm, often in parallel with its clients. “We’ve all grown together with our clients from one success to the next, whether it be helping clients complete financings or helping them close business,” said Managing Partner Alon Segev. “I look forward to continued growth for us and our clients in the next 10 years!”
The firm’s client-first approach has consistently earned recognition from top legal ranking guides. Segev LLP is ranked by Chambers and Partners as a “Leading Firm” and “Band-1” in Canada for Gaming Law and are also recommended by The Legal 500 and Lexology. These rankings reflect the team’s ability to deliver strategic, high-quality legal solutions that align with their clients’ business goals.
Recognized for their unique ability to exceed expectations and deliver out-of-the-box solutions, Segev LLP’s clients have affirmed: “The firm demonstrates its capability not only to understand complex matters, but also to offer solutions that are practical, pragmatic, and value-adding.”
“Segev possesses outstanding resources and maintains global partnerships, enabling it to deliver precise and informed responses to any queries related to the iGaming industry.”
“Epic service, very good, I won the case!”
“Great service, friendly atmosphere, and support.”
Several Segev team members also reflected on the milestone: “There was a moment early in my time here when I realized I wasn’t just being brought in to help; I was expected to contribute, take initiative, and run with big ideas. That stuck with me,” said Negin Alavi.
“Together with our clients, [Segev] has experienced remarkable growth over the past decade. I’m honored to have contributed to this journey and to celebrate these shared successes,” said David McHugh.
“Segev has cultivated a thriving law practice on the principle that challenges are to be embraced as opportunities. The approach has enabled us to grow as lawyers, but more importantly, it has enabled us to ensure the success of our clients,” said Mark Balestra.
“Since joining through Segev’s Ontario expansion, I’ve had the chance to work alongside some of the sharpest and most collaborative lawyers in the gaming space,” added Manav Bhargava. “As a full-service firm and industry leader, Segev stands out for its ability to support innovative businesses with practical, forward-thinking legal advice.”
Segev LLP will commemorate the anniversary with a series of internal and external initiatives throughout the remainder of the year.
Latest News
Quick Custom Intelligence Partners with ComOps to Offer Secure, Scalable Off-Site Human Player-Development Services for Casinos

Quick Custom Intelligence (QCI), the global leader in AI-driven casino analytics, today announced a strategic partnership with ComOps, a hospitality performance partner delivering support-as-a-service solutions that enhance guest experiences and improve workforce efficiency. Through this partnership, QCI clients can now extend their host teams with ComOps’ bilingual (English/Spanish) player-development agents, available as fractional or fully virtual support.
Key Benefits for Casino Operators:
Turn-key scalability: ComOps agents operate directly within the QCI Enterprise Platform, receiving real-time access to player lists, campaign tasks, and performance dashboards. This allows properties to rapidly scale host operations without increasing headcount.
Secure, compliant operations: Agents access property systems via Microsoft® Virtual Desktop with multifactor authentication. All work is performed in a secured, clean-desk facility—no phones, pens, or paper—protecting player data and marketing offers.
Full-service guest engagement: Services include inbound and outbound telemarketing, VIP event invitations, and follow-up calls are executed from QCI’s dynamic call lists. When required, ComOps agents can enter hotel reservations directly into leading PMS platforms, Agilysys PMS, Oracle OHIP, or Infor HMS, to complete the guest journey.
Rapid deployment: Game Changing Technologies (GCT) will provision and manage all additional QCI licenses required, streamlining onboarding and accelerating time-to-value.
“Our customers are scaling faster than ever, and staffing expert host talent can be a major constraint,” said Dr. Ralph Thomas, CEO of QCI. “By integrating ComOps’ secure, off-site human agents into the QCI workflow, operators can instantly expand capacity, maintain data integrity, and focus on delivering personalized guest experiences that drive revenue.”
“Casinos need flexible, cost-effective ways to deepen player relationships,” added Robert Levine, CEO of ComOps. “This partnership combines ComOps’ hospitality expertise with QCI’s real-time analytics to help properties increase trip frequency, elevate guest engagement, and optimize VIP experiences.”
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